St Paul Sandwich!

St Paul Sandwich!

I'm heading to St Louis in a couple of weeks as part of an extended Labor Day Weekend ballpark trip (the last of the season)I'm looking for a place that serves this St Louis specialty that will be open on a Sunday Afternoon- The earlier- the better!

What about snoots? Isn't that also a St. Louis taste treat? From reading about the St. Paul sandwich on the old Chowhound site, it would appear that any Cantonese or "chop suey" house in town will carry your sandwich. I'd really like to hear about your experience but I suspect, just like Tony Bourdian's cobra treat, it wouldn't be for me.

I'm not sure of the hours and I haven't been in 4 years, but Kim Van Chinese Restaurant, 2649 Gravois in South St. Louis had very good St. Pauls. The place was, and presumably still is, owned by a very nice Vietnamese couple. I LOVE South City! If you can, get to Iron Barley. It's been covered here before. The owner used to cook at another South City place, Frazier's Traveling Brown Bag.

Kim Van is the small Chinese restaurant that was featured as the place for St. Paul sandwiches in the PBS special "Sandwiches you will Love." I visited it Cctober 2004. I don't know if it is open Sundays.

Kim Van is a storefront in an neighborhood near downtown. The food was ordered and picked up at a walled in counter. There were about a dozen tables in disrepair and the only other people in the dinning area were two little girls doing their homework. At least on athat Friday night, all of the business appeared to be carryout and delivery.

The sandwiches started at only $1.50. I splurged and had a "shrimp" for $2.25 and the most expensive, a "special" for $2.50.

They were good and I would be happy to have St Pauls again, but wouldn't go far out of my way to go to that particular restaurant.

MilwFoodlovers, by coincidence, snoots are being discussed in the BBQ forum.

Mr. Stern is correct. You won't find a St. Paul at any place that has table service. Only the ones that have counter service will have one. I found a place open on Sunday that offers St. Paul sandwiches. I had to go by the UPS Store and stopped next door at Old St. Louis Chop Suey and picked up a menu. OSLCS is a local chain with four locations. The one closest to downtown is at 4600 Chippewa, just east of Kingshighway. It's in a small shopping center with a Blockbuster and across the street from an Office Max. They open at noon on Sunday. From Downtown, head out I-44 and exit Vandeventer/Kingshighway. Turn left on Vandeventer and then veer left onto Kingshighway. Turn left onto Chippewa and it's about a block and a half on your right.

The St. Paul sandwiches I've had were homemade, (not a frozen product) omelet like patty with eggs, onions, mung bean sprouts and soy sauce, with lettuce, usually anemic tomatoes, sometimes dill pickles like you would get with bbq, mayo, but in one unfortunate experience, Miracle Whip. All served between soft white bread that tasted like it was purchased at a bakery outlet. I still think Kim Van are the tastiest St. Paul I've had. I've only had three in my life,so what do I know?

The PBS program showed them making this St Paul Sandwhich ...they had a a ladle full of eggs, sprouts, shrimp & other vegies ( an omelet ) ... which he/she pours into a wok full of hotpeanut oil ... about six inches of hot peanut oil ... it frys up real fast looked kinda crunchy then they plop it on white wonder bread ... with tomato & mayo ... looked really greezy that first bite ... Of course when I done this at home, I keep a couple of tablespoons of oil in the wok, and try to fry it really hot (cajun cooker) trying to save them extra calories, which you add back in the form of MAYO Nasty wonder bread is important

I went to Washington University in St.Louis and used to be a loyal fan of a Chinese carryout chain called "Chong Wah." There were a number of them around town. They made great St. Pauls and had the best fried rice I've ever tasted. Back in 1985, $4.00 bout you more fried rice and St. Paul than you could finish!

Extreme glow- I might give Old St Louis Chop Suey a try. I also found out there is a Vietnamese Restaurant in University City called Mai Lee that has St Pauls' and they open at 11am on Sundays- they seem to be a little more expensive so maybe they're "Haute Cuisine" St Pauls!

Personally I like the Taste of China. It is down Gravois just a bit north of Lindberg, South of Hampton(near Grasso Plaza). Also towards St. Ann/Maryland Heights there is a Chinexican place that is called Lucky House that stays open on Sundays and should have a fair to middling St. Pauls (has been about 6mos since I ate there though).

I was so disappointed when I wasn't able to have a St Paul Sandwich when I was in St. Louis a couple of years ago. Next trip, for sure!

As for egg foo yungs -- there is so much variation in quality. I love a well-prepared one, but I have had really disgusting egg foo yungs at a lot of places, so I am cautious. Some good places: Dragon House in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, Lotus Garden in Greenwood, Indiana, and, for a really unusual version, Orange Garden in Chicago, which has something I've never had anywhere else: sweet and sour egg foo young. They don't make it with that awful thick neon orange sweet and sour sauce you often see these days. It's a really subtle dark and translucent sweet and sour sauce with pineapple chunks and complements the egg foo yung patties surprisingly well. I'm going to Chicago next week for a conference, and can't wait to have it again. http://eat24hrs.com/resta...rder/menu.php?id=21080